Unexploded bomb in our back garden – “It’s not a big deal”

A FROME couple had a ‘bit of a shock’ after discovering they may have been living just feet away from an unexploded bomb in their back garden. 

Terry Pinto and Paula Hammond in Milk Street had a visit from the police saying they had ‘credible information’ that a bomb had dropped in their garden during the Second World War.

Now residents of the area around Milk Street are being evacuated from their homes from 6.30am on the 6th August for bomb disposal experts to deal with the device.

But Terry, a local architect, says he not worried about the bomb; only that he’ll now have to sort out his overgrown garden!

“We’re fairly relaxed about it, to be honest; it’s not a big deal,” he told Frome Times on Tuesday. “If it is a bomb, it’s been there for seventy years so it’s not going off tomorrow. But it will mean I’ll probably have to sort out my garden which I’ve been trying to avoid for years!”

The story began when a resident in a care home in Frome mentioned to his daughter that a bomb had dropped at the house in Milk Street during the war. The daughter called the police who visited Terry and Paula.

“The police came round with the elderly man who showed them where he thought the bomb had dropped. Later the police came back with a magnetometer which detects iron and found two big lumps buried.

“It’s not certain that it’s a bomb but the police were concerned enough to want to deal with it. This was two or three weeks ago but they have left it until now so the schools that back onto our garden – Vallis and  St Louis – will have broken up.”

Now Terry and other residents of Milk Street are being evacuated from their homes from 6.30am on the 6th August for bomb disposal experts to deal with the device.

A rest centre is being set up at the nearby Oakfield Academy for affected residents to use free of charge from 06:30 on the 6th August.

“They’re going to dig up the garden which means I’ll have to finally get the garden up together which is something I’ve been trying to avoid,” added Terry. “I won’t have an excuse anymore.”

Mendip District Council say until uncovered and exposed to air there is no threat to people or property.

Councillor Harvey Siggs said: “Two full surveys of the garden have been carried out by experts and results show there is evidence of metal material buried in the garden of a property in Milk Street.

“Until the possible device is uncovered and exposed to air, experts have advised it presents no threat or risk to people or property.

“Experts also stress there is a low risk even when exposed.”